The Labor enquirer., 1887-10-08

of ~ bifth a ~ slh1ncr = opontry, =
y ~ ~ s1aatisa - Iuh1lp sRsirs and
sdvise peopse aetioa. 4 Gonssal discon-
tmt prsvoils q ~ poEt q ~ wealth
Ppod0oorA lszueu ~ ouDusing from
. povssty which has forooa nost q them
TO mortgage thsir sstates, ma prices of
produee azs 20 lov - 70 oGse no relief
except through bsnkzuptey. Laborers
are sinking into greater and greater de-
peudsnos Strikes are rssogtsd 10 With
out relief bscause Of ths inability Of en-
p!oysrs In many Gases 10 pay living wages,
While more and more are driven into the
strest& Business msn ind collections al
most impossibls, meantime hundreds of
millions Of idle public mooey which is
needed for relief i locked up in the
United States treasury b grim mockery
of the distress; land monopoly hourishes
as never known before, and more and
moro owners Of the soil are daily becom-
ing tenants. Great transportation corpo-
rati0ns stil succeed in extorting their
profits upon vatered stock through unjust
charges. The United States senate has
become an open scandal, it, seats being
purchased BY the rich in opsn defiance of
the popular viii. 4 trihing fisheries dis
pute il seized upon a. an excuse for nee
esssry military preparations which are
designed TO breed spirit Of var, to ape
European despotisn, and TO empty the
treasury without paying the public debt.
Under these and other alarming condi-
tions We sppea; 70 the people of the
whole country to come out Of the old
party organizations, where indifference
to the public welfare is responsible for
this distress, and help rs to organize a
new political party, not sectional but ma
tional, whose members shall be called
commoners, whose object shall be to re-
peal all class laws in favor Of the rich, and
to relieve the distress of our industries
by establishing the following principles:
/. Land-Every human being possesses
a natural, inalienable right to sufficient
land for self support, and We desire to se-
cure to ever industrious citizen home as
the highest result of free institutions. To
this end we desire a graduated land tax
on all land estates, especially those held
for speculative or tenant purpose; the re-
claimation of all unearned land grants;
the immediate opening of Oklahoma to
homestead settlement; the purchase of
all unoccupied Indian lands, and the set
tlement Of the various tribes in severalty;
also laws preventing corporations from
real estate beyond the requir-
ments of their business, and alien owner
ship of land. The system of irrigation,
in states and territories where necessary,
shall be under such public control as shall
secure the free and equitable use of the
waters and franchises to the people.
2. Transportation-The means of com
or transportation should be
controlled by the people, as is the United
States postal system, and equitable rates
everywhere established.
3. Money-The establishment of ma
tional monetary system in the interest of
the producer instead of the speculator
and usurer by which circulating medium
in necessary quantity and full legal ten
der, shall be issued directly to the peo-
pie, without the Intervention of banks, or
loaned to citizens upon ample security at
a low rate of interest to relieve them from
the extortions of usury and enable them
to control the money supply. Postal saw
ings banks should be established. While
we have free coinage of gold, we should
have free coinage of silver. We demand
the prompt payment OF. the national debt,
and condemn the further issue of interest
bearing bonds, either by the national gov
ernment, or by states; territories, counties
or municipalities.
1. Decentralization should take the
place of strikes and other injurious meth
DDS of settling labor disputes; the letting of
convict labor to contractors be prohibited;
the contract system be abolished in pub
lie works: the hours of labor in industrial
be reduced commensurate
with the increase of production in labor
saving machinery; employees to be pro-
tected from bodily injury; equal pay be-
ing given for equal work for both sexes,
and labor, agricultural and cooperative
by law. The foundation of republic is
the intelligence of its citizens, and chill
dren who are driven into workshops.
mines and factories are deprived of edu-
cation which should be secured by proper
legislation. We desire to see labor organ
izations extend throughout. all civilized
countries, until it shall be impossible for
despots to array the workingmen of one
country in war against their brothers of
another country.
5. Soldiers and Sailors-In apprecia-
tion of the services of United States SOL
diers and sailors we demand for them JUS
tice before charity. The purposely de-
preciated money paid them during the
war should be made equal in value to the
gold paid the bondholder. The soldier
was promised gold or its equivalent and
was paid in deprecated paper. The bond
holder loaned the government deprecated
paper and contracted to take it back, but
was paid in gold.
6. Income Tara graduated income
is the most equitable system of taxation,
placing the burden of government on
those who can best afford to pay, instead
of laying il on the farmers and producers,